February 20, 2011: "Dead Games"

I've always hated the term "dead games." No one -- not even the Men in Black -- are going to come to your house and keep you from playing that old copy of Rivets just because it happens to be out of print, or running a Marvel Super Heroes campaign just because TSR lost the license.

On the other hand, I can see that a $500 "buy it now" price on eBay is going to make finding new people to play them with a bit more difficult. And as much fun as you'll have with your battered copy of Thunder Road, it lacks the thrill and surprise you get from breaking open the shrink wrap on a just-released copy of Munchkin Zombies.

That's why I'm happy with SJ's decision to re-release older games in new formats. Awful Green Things, Give Me The Brain, and Lord of the Fries were all considered "dead" at one point, and now they're back, looking better than ever. They still give you the nostalgic, comfortable feeling of a beat-up box from the back of the closet, but the box is filled with modern components in vibrant color.